Kiwanis Club of Baton Rouge

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time.

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Kiwanis has adopted six "Objects" to help guide activities:

* To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life.
* To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.
* To promote the adoption and the application of higher social, business, and professional standards.
* To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship.
* To provide, through Kiwanis clubs, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service, and to build better communities.
* To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and goodwill.

The name “Kiwanis” was coined from an Otchipew American Indian expression, "Nunc Kee-wanis", variously translated as "we trade," "we share out talents," "we make a noise," or "we meet." This was originally the motto of Kiwanis, translated as "We build." The current motto is "Serving the children of the world". Members of the club are called Kiwanians.

A Brief History of Kiwanis: In the beginning...

It was a murky December 7th, 1914, in the city of Detroit, when an intense young man approached a local tailor about becoming a member of a fraternal organization of business and professional men, one that would have a health insurance feature. And when Joe Prance signed the membership application to join this club, Allen Browne had unknowingly begun the formation of what would eventually develop into one of the greatest service organizations in the world.

Browne, a professional organizer for the Loyal Order of the Moose, then sought out other members to join his new organization, which he named as the "Supreme Lodge Benevolent Order Brothers", shortened by the membership to "BOBS." Browne's arrangement with the group was that he would enlist members and pocket $5 from each for his efforts.

The membership soon grew tired of belonging to an organization known as "BOBS", and sought out Detroit's official historian, Clarence Burton, for help in finding a new name. He suggested "nunc kee-wan-is," an Indian phrase that was translated as "we trade" and "we have a good time” and “we make noise."

The name Kiwanis was approved by the membership of the Detroit#1 club early in January, 1915. Articles of incorporation were then filed, and the corporate charter for the state of Michigan was returned on January 21, 1915, which has become known as the official birthday of Kiwanis.

Our Club History

The Kiwanis Club of Baton Rouge, Inc. (Downtown) was founded on April 24, 1919. We meet weekly at the Women's Club, 259 East Blvd at 12:00 noon on Thursdays.